The Birmingham Polytechnic-educated comic spent his childhood in Oldbury and Smethwick and lists his hobby of "watching football" in the guide.

The book mentions another eight personalities from the West Midlands including three Birmingham University academics.

Professor of biochemistry Stephen Busby, who has worked at the university since 1995, is named alongside professor of molecular pharmacology Michael Wakelam, aged 50, and 62-year-old professor of classics Andrew Barker.

Professor Barker lists one of his recreations as "negotiations with dogs".

He said: "I feel very posh. It is one of those things you get for doing something else and I assume the reason for the recognition is because this year I became a fellow of the British Academy."

Other Birmingham entries who will join fellow newcomers such as George Michael, ex Coronation Street star Sarah Lancashire and newsreader Mark Austin, include the chief executive of University Hospital, Birmingham, Mark Britnell, who mentions his recreation as "building new hospitals".

Ballet enthusiast and the new chief master of King Edward's School in Birmingham John Claughton takes his place in the guide, with Rash-mita Shukla, the 45-year-old regional director of public health at the West Midlands Department of Health.

The final two Birmingham entries are the Archdeacon of Aston, the Venerable Brian Russell, who names National Hunt racing as a pastime and Derek Turner, the 52-year-old Highways Agency traffic operations director with a passion for classical music.

All of the entries will remain in Who's Who until they die. Only then will they be removed from the book, to be automatically transferred to the Who Was Who guide.

The book, often referred to as the Snob's Bible, features biographies of 32,000 of the country's richest, most famous, talented and influential people including disgraced peer Lord Archer and fugitive Lord Lucan.